HISTORIC HOUSE RE-OPENS FOR SCOTT’S BIRTHDAY

Sir Walter Scott's historic home will re-open its doors on the famous author’s birthday, Saturday 15th August.

The historic house, described by Scott as his ‘conundrum castle’, has been closed for nearly five months, since Friday 20th March, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but will now open every Thursday – Sunday, starting this weekend (Saturday 15th August).

Changes have been made to comply with government guidance including timed entry tickets to enable social distancing and making the popular audio tour available for mobile phones.

Abbotsford’s Chief Executive, Giles Ingram, said: “We are delighted to be finally opening the door to Scott’s fantastic home in time for his birthday, Saturday August 15th. We have had a phased reopening of the Abbotsford estate, starting with the walled gardens, the café, shop and five-star accommodation in July. It’s now wonderful to be able to complete the final phase and welcome visitors back to the historic house and chapel.

“We have put new measures in place to meet government guidance and to enable our visitors to have a relaxed, enjoyable visit. It’s a great day out for the family, with all areas now open.

“At the moment we can only open the house four days a week, but we hope we will be able to increase this. We are also planning to extend our season this year and keep the house open through December, with Christmas celebrations for visitors and the local community.”

Visitors are encouraged to book their time-slot for the house online before travelling to Abbotsford, time slots will be available to book soon. They should also pre-book their table & food at Ochiltree’s café to avoid disappointment.

The historic house and chapel will be open Thursday – Sunday, 11am – 4pm (last entry 3pm), every week, starting on Saturday August 15th. Abbotsford’s Regency Walled Gardens, Ochiltree’ cafe, gift shop and Sir Walter Scott exhibition are open seven days a week, 10am- 4pm. Ochiltree’s café is also taking part in the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme, every Monday – Wednesday during August.